Soot blower apparatus for steam boilers



July 17, 1928.

C. L. DAVIDSON SOOT BLOWER APPARATUS FOR STEAM BOILERS Filed June 25. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY ATTORN Y July 17, 1928. 1,677,751

0. 1.. DAVIDSON SOOT BLOWER APPARATUS FOR STEAM BOILERS Filed June 25, 1921 5 Sheets-Shoot 2 Q A I July 17, 1921s.

C. .L. DAVIDSON 500T BLOWER APPARATUS FOR STEAM BOILERS Filed June 25. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July 17, 1928.

. 1 UNITED EST T S '7 onnnnns L. DAVIDSON, or. new form, my.

PATENT ornc SCOT-BLOWER APPARATUS FOR swam Bormins.

Application filed June 25, 192i. .Ser1a1.flo.-480,809.

This invention irel ates to soot blower apparatus for steam boilers. I

The object of the inventi n is to provide apparatus which is simple in-structure, economical to construct, install .and maintain, and eflicient in operation,- zfior blowing or removing the soot and other deposits which accumulate upon the ti'bes of steam boilers.

A further object is to :provide an eflicient soot blower apparatus wherein removal of boiler tubes to accommodate the installation of the blower apparatus is avoided.

A further object is .to provide a blower apparatus of the nature referred to wherein individual elements of the :blower system, when not inuse, are withdrawn from .position for use, into retracted position where protection is aiiorded therefor from the heat ofthe boiler iurnace.

A :further object of the invention is to provide means whereby individual blower elements, :are normally maintained in an initial position such as to, prevent drippings fromthe blower perforations or,nozzles :fallsing uponthe boiler tubes when the blower plication theretoof a soot blower apparatus embodying .the principles of -my invention; Fig. 2 .is a central .vertical longitudinal section of the-same. y

Fig.3 is .a broken illustrating tion to ablowereleme'nt.

Fig. 14 is a View simi trating an actuating :arrangement for an 7 element of the blower apparatus.

Fig. :5 is -a view in .end elevation of the construction shown'in Fig. A.

Fig.6 is. a section on the :line 6, 6, Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 isa fragmentary detail view insection illustrating aniarrangement wherein a transversely disposed blower elementis withdrawn. into position to :be protected from detail a in section Xaball jointed operating conneclar' .to iFig'. 3 illus-v the heat of .the boiler when :notrequired for use.

Fig. 8 .is a view similar to Fig. 7, illustrating an arrangementiwherein a longitudi- I nalLy adisposed blower element is withdrawn from working position when 'not required for use and protected from the boiler heat.

Fig. .9 is aview in front elevation show- 'ing :a modified anrangementufor rotating a blower element.

Fig. .10 is a view in side elevation of the same.

Fig. 11 is a view in'section on the line 11,, 1, .Fig. 10.

Fig. was similar view on the line 12, 12, Fig. 10. V

The same-part is reference, .numeral wherever throughout the-several views.

.It is among the special iPllIlPOSQS of my present invention to provide a soot blower it occurs apparatus which avoids many practical ob jections in the installation and'operation of apparatus of this nature. I also-propose'to avoid the necessity of removing any of'the tubes of the boiler to permit installation of the .blower system. 1 also propose to locate elementsiof the blower system so as'to efiectively-clean ,or remove soot from the boiler tubesin .thelowerpart of the boiler where ,the :heat- .is greatest, andto provide means designated by the same for protecting .the -:blower elements located" in .thisregion from the furnace heat when .said elements are not in use.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown an il1ustrative 'i'orm of soot blower apparatus embodying the principles of my invention'as' applied to aH-steam boiler of I ithe'well known B. .& tubular type. It is to be understood, however, that my invention is znot to be limited or restricted in respect to rite-application to any particular makeortypeofboiler.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the tubes of a ,t-ubularboiler, 11 the steam adIIlIDS, and 12 the end walls, :13 .the side walls-and 14 the bridge wall, and 15, a super uheater. As above pointed out, these features may be of the usual or any desired :type o r-make. Extending through the shell or casing wallsare the soot blower ipes 16, 17, 18, to which steam is delivered rom the drums'11,or from the super-heater 15, as maybe desired through pipes 19, controlled .by valves 20. Any desired number of these.

' tubes of the boiler.

blower pipes may be employed, and they may be arranged in various relations with respect to the steam generating elements, or In the arrangement shown as an illustrative embodiment of my invention, but to which, of course, my invention is not to be limited or restricted, two blower element-s 16 are employed, and

these are disposed above and in parallel.

relation to the boiler tubes 10, and, in the type of boiler shown, preferably, in a downwardly inclined position from the front to the rear of the boiler, the lower ends of said elements extending through the rear wall 12 of the boiler setting or casing, where they are suitably connected to the steam supply pipes 19.

The blower pipe orelement- 17, is shown located below the front end of the boiler tubes, and extends transversely across the boiler. This element, although located in close proximity to the furnace chamber, is protected, when not in use in the performance of its blower functions, by being retracted behind a protecting bridge or ledge 21.

The blower pipe or element 18 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as extending transversely across the boiler at a point beneath the boiler tubes adjacent-the rear ends thereof. In this case, however, the said pipe is protected from the furnace heat by the furnace bridge wall 14, which is interposed betweensaid pipe and the furnacechamber.

If desired, and as indicated in Figs. 1 and 8, blower pipes or elements 22, located below the boiler tubes, may also be employed and arranged to extend in parallel relation to the tubes. In this case the elements 22 will be mounted in downwardly inclined position from the front end ofthe boiler towards the rear end, as in the case of ele ments 16. The elements 22, are mounted adjacent the sides of the boiler casing and in such manner that they may be moved into a retracted position behinda ledge or wall 21, when not required for use in effecting a cleaningof the tubes, so as to be protected from the effects-of the heat of the boiler furnace.

The downward inclination of the blower pipes or elements 16from the front'towards the rear of the boiler permits any leakage of steam into the blower system due to leaky valves, to drain from the boiler to a point where drfpniug's-w will fall clear of the boiler tubes, the r .t, avoiding the danger ofcorroding or puncturing the boiler tubes, and of explosions therein. This danger is avoided, of course, in the case of elements 17, 18 and 22 by reason of theirlocation below the boiler tubes.

The various pipes or elements of the blower system are perforated along their lengths, and, preferably, these are in the form of nipples, as indicated at 24, so that when steam is supplied to the elements,-it is delivered therefrom in jets as indicated in Fig. 7. I

In the work of effectively removing the soot, or other deposits, from the boiler tubes, and in order to reach and clean a maximum number of the tubes, the blower elements, orcertain ones of them are preferably mounted for axial rotative movement,

whereby the steam jets therefrom may be directed through a wide range of application. For example, I have shown the blower elements 16 mounted for axial rotative movement, which movement is imparted thereto in any suitable 1nanner, as, for instance, a hand wheel 25, having suitable connection with the end of the element which extends througa the rear wall 12 of the boiler casing.

In order to permit such axial rotative movements of the elements of the blower,

notwithstanding deflections or bendsvin the elements caused by the heat to which said elements are subjected, I prefer to employ a ball or other form of flexible joint connection between the ends of the blower ele Y mentsand the pipes 19 which deliver the steam thereto. An illustrative form of ball oint connection is shown in detail in Fig.

3, wherein the end of the blower element which extends through the rear wall of the boiler casing receives one end of a sleeve 26,

within the other end of which is received the ball portion 27 of a sleeve 28, which is connected tothe steam supply pipe 19-. A suitable packing indicated at 29, preferably a soft metal packing, is interposed between the ball 27 and its seat in thesleeve 26. The

movement to the blower element 16,"may be conveniently mounted upon the sleeve 26.

The end of the blower element extends naceby means of an intervening ledge or bridge. To permit such movements I provide said elements with angle portions at their ends, whichangle' portions form pintles or ournals upon which said elements are rocked. I have shown such an arrangement in Figs. 1, 4, 7, and 8, wherein the angle or crankends 34, of blower elements 17,122,

are shown extended through a flanged hear ing sleeve 35 mounted in the casing wall 13,

and are connected to operating elements, I

operating member 25 for imparting rotative to the blower element.

'in many difierent ways.

25 above described with reference to the blower element 16. In like manner a ball joint'connection, indicated at 87, similar in all respects to the ball {joint-connection above described, forms a Connection between the blower element 17 andits *steam supply pipe 19. In this arrangement by means of the operating element 36, the crank arm end portions 34, of the blower element are axially rotated so as to'cause the intermediate portion of said element to be raised or moved into position for accomplishing its blower function, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 7, or shifted into retracted position behind a protecting ledge or bridge 21, as indicated in dotted lines in the same figure, when not required for use.

In the structure so far described, the blower elements are rotated by means of hand or other wheels indicated at 25, 36. In practice the blower elements required to be rotatively actuated are sometimes located at such a height as to make it inconvenient or diiiicult to reach. In such case the rotative movement of said elements may be eftected in various other ways. It is preferable thatthe actuation of the blower elements, .when. required, be eiiected smoothly and evenly. In Figs. 9, 10, 11' and 12 I have shown a simple arrangement for this purpose wherein a worm gear 50 is mounted on or connected to the blower element tobe rotated, and is engaged by a worm 51, carried by a shaft 52, journaled in brackets 53,

fastened to the boiler casing 12 or to the sleeve 30 through which the blower element extends. To the shaft 52 is connected an operating rod and handle 54 by which the worm 51 may be rotated, and this operating rod and handle may be led to any convenient point.

.t is desirable that the blower elements be normally maintained in a certain or given initial position. This'may be accomplished A simple and eflicicnt arrangement is shown wherein a coil spring 38 is mounted on the blower element, one end of said spring being connected to the journal sleeve in the casing wall through which the end of blower element extends. The other end of said spring is connected The tension of this spring is normally exerted upon the blower element to-maintain the lip or projection 32 on collar 31, in bearing contact against the stop 33, and hence maintain the blower ele ment in a given initial position. This initial position should be such that any leakage of steam into the blower element through faulty valves will not cause dripping or continuous impact of steam jets upon a particular tube, or spot on a tube, of the boiler.

In order to take care of any accumulation of condensation within "the blower element's,

I provide said elements with drain pipe conneat-ions indicated at 39, in which are located valves 40. one 0t which is-diagrammatically included in, Fig.4.

The drainconn'ec'tions 39-, if desired, may.

deliver into the boiler casing at a: convenient point where the 'dr ppings or drainin'gs therefrom will cause no injurious actionlr on the boiler tubes,

In some 'casesit may 'be desirable to cool the blower elements when not in use for blower purposes, and it is also desirable to be able to ascertain whether or not any leakage of steam occurs in the blower system. I have provided a simple arrangement for accomplishing these purposes wherein I employ a funnel member or elbow 60 in the drain connection 39, (see Fig. 3) so con- 'structed and arranged as to provide an ail? intake opening around the drain connection. For example, one section of the drain pipe connection may pass loosely into one end of the funnel elbow. In this manner when the blower is not in use for blower purposes air may be taken into the blower system through this air space afforded by the elbow funnel,

thereby tending to keep the blower elements cool. At the same time, in case of any steam leakage in the blower system, the fact will be disclosed by a slight escape of the steam at the elbow funnel connections.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I provide an exceedingly simple steam blower system which is inexpensive to install and maintain, and easy to operate, and wherein removal of boiler tubes is not necessary in making the installation of the system. It will also be seen that I provide against the danger of interruption of the operation of the blower system through warping or bending of the elements thereof, or injury to or danger from rupture or explosion of the boiler tubes due to faulty action of the blower system or of its elements. It will also be seen that I reduce the external piping reqllllired for the blower system to a minimum t ereby leaving comparatively or other portions er the 'oile'r's.

free and unobstructed the alleyways usually er part of the boiler and where cleaning of the tubesis most important, without unduly subjecting the blower elements when not in use to high heats of the furnace.

It will be understood that many variations and changes in details of structure and arrangement of parts will readily occur to persons skilled in the art without departure from the spirit and broad scope of my lnvention, as defined in the claim. I do not desire, therefore, to be limited or restricted to the specific details and arrangements selected.

and shown as illustrative of the principles involved.

But what I claim asnew and useful and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

The combination with a steam boiler having a casing, of an oscillatable perforated blower element permanently mounted within the casing, a protecting wall within said casing behind which said element normally rests to protect it from direct heat, means on the outside of the casing for moving said blower element out of normal position for use and means for maintaining said blower element in protected position against which the first mentioned means acts in moving said blower element into position for use. I

- In testimony whereof- I have hereunto set my hand on this 18th dayofJune A. D., 1921.

CHARLES L. DAVIDSON. f 

